Long-term vacancy up 50% in a decade, group finds
More than 300,000 homes across England have stood empty for over six months, with the long-term vacant stock now valued at an estimated £88.6 billion, according to new analysis from House Buyer Bureau.
The figures show 754,264 vacant homes across England, of which 303,185 are classed as long-term vacant – meaning 40.2% of the country's vacant housing stock has sat unused for more than six months. The vacant dwelling counts are drawn from government live tables covering 2024-25, while the monetary valuations apply average house prices from the UK House Price Index's most recent June 2026 data.
Separate analysis reported by The Big Issue attributes to campaign group Action on Empty Homes a finding that the number of vacant homes in England has risen by 50% in the decade since the last government-funded programme to bring empty homes back into use ended. The figure was attributed to the group's chief executive.
London carries the heaviest concentration
London holds the highest estimated value of long-term vacant housing of any English region. There are 47,287 long-term vacant homes in the capital, accounting for 45% of London's 105,138 vacant properties. With the average London home valued at £544,814, House Buyer Bureau estimates the capital's long-term vacant stock is worth almost £25.8 billion.
Separately, London City Hall data shows the number of empty homes in the capital has risen 81% since 2016, from 58,096 that year to 105,138 in 2025, according to Council Taxbase figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The South East ranks second by value, where 42,099 long-term vacant homes are estimated at £16.1 billion, followed by the East of England at £10.9 billion across 32,123 properties. Within London boroughs, Kensington and Chelsea has 2,030 long-term vacant homes – 59.7% of its vacant stock – worth an estimated £2.55 billion. Westminster's 2,279 long-term vacant properties, equivalent to 61.2% of its total vacant housing stock, carry an estimated combined value of £1.91 billion.
Financing routes remain narrow
For mortgage brokers, the scale of long-term vacancy underlines a persistent lending gap. According to specialist property-finance guidance published separately, most standard residential lenders will not extend a mortgage on a property classed as uninhabitable, meaning cases lacking a working kitchen, bathroom or watertight roof. Buyers and investors looking to bring such properties back into use typically rely on bridging loans, refurbishment mortgages, or specialist renovation products rather than conventional lending, that guidance states.
Some lenders will assess bridging finance against a property's projected value once renovated, known as gross development value, allowing borrowing to cover both purchase and repair costs before the loan is repaid on remortgage or sale.
Council tax rules, set out separately under the Local Government Finance Act 1992, add further pressure on owners to act. Section 11B permits English billing authorities to apply an empty homes premium of up to 300% on top of the standard bill for properties left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for an extended period, though each council sets its own rate and threshold.
Industry calls for existing stock to be prioritised
House Buyer Bureau managing director Chris Hodgkinson said it was "quite remarkable" that policy debate continues to centre on building hundreds of thousands of new homes when more than 300,000 existing properties have sat empty for over six months.
“Of course, there's no single reason why a property remains vacant and not every empty home can simply be put back into use overnight. But anyone who works within the property market knows how easily a home can become stuck in limbo, whether it requires significant work, forms part of an estate, has legal complications or simply proves difficult to sell,” said Hodgkinson.
Action on Empty Homes has separately pressed government for capital gains tax relief to help move empty properties into social housing use, according to The Big Issue's reporting, arguing that billions are currently spent on temporary accommodation that could instead fund retrofitting existing stock.
Outside London, Birmingham recorded 7,060 homes vacant for more than six months, equating to an estimated £1.64bn in long-term vacant housing value, based on the city's average house price.
